LOS ANGELES – February 16, 2021 – Stand Up To Cancer® (SU2C) with its Scientific Partner, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), today announced cancer specialist, internationally known translational researcher and SU2C Health Equity Committee Chair Edith A. Perez, MD, as the newest vice chair of the SU2C Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC).

Stand Up To Cancer’s Scientific Advisory Committee is composed of prestigious academic and industry leaders in cancer research. Its role is to provide insight and guidance to SU2C, setting the direction for its research initiatives, reviewing proposals for new grant awards and conducting rigorous oversight of all active grants in the SU2C portfolio.

“Dr. Perez is an incredibly accomplished and respected voice in cancer research,” said SU2C Scientific Advisory Committee Chair Phillip A. Sharp, PhD, institute professor, Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and a Nobel laureate. “Her experience and insight, which she has demonstrated within Stand Up To Cancer as chair of SU2C’s Health Equity Committee, will be of great value to the Scientific Advisory Committee as we work to propel SU2C’s research forward.”

As chair of Stand Up To Cancer’s Health Equity Committee, Dr. Perez was instrumental in shepherding SU2C’s Health Equity Initiative, which is aimed at increasing minority participation in cancer clinical trials. In addition to leading SU2C’s Health Equity Committee, Dr. Perez maintains a clinical affiliation as Professor of Medicine at the Mayo Clinic and director of the Mayo Clinic Breast Cancer Translational Genomics Program, where she has practiced for two decades. Dr. Perez has also served as Chief Medical Officer of Bolt Biotherapeutics since April 2020.

Dr. Perez also serves on the editorial boards of multiple academic journals, and has authored more than 700 research articles in journals, books and abstracts. Her areas of focus have included developing a wide range of clinical trials exploring targeted therapeutic agents for the treatment and prevention of breast cancer.

“We are honored that Dr. Perez has agreed to take on a greater role in shaping Stand Up To Cancer’s innovative research,” said Sung Poblete, PhD, RN, CEO of Stand Up To Cancer. “Dr. Perez is a world-renowned translational researcher and valued member of the scientific community, and her lifelong dedication to ensuring that all people benefit equally from the latest advances in cancer research makes her an incredibly welcome addition to our Scientific Advisory Committee.”

About Stand Up To Cancer
Stand Up To Cancer® (SU2C) raises funds to accelerate the pace of research to get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives now. SU2C, a division of the Entertainment Industry Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, was established in 2008 by media and entertainment leaders who utilize these communities’ resources to engage the public in supporting a new, collaborative model of cancer research, to increase awareness about cancer prevention, and to highlight progress being made in the fight against the disease. As of August 2020, more than 1,950 scientists representing more than 210 institutions are involved in SU2C-funded research projects.

Under the direction of our Scientific Advisory Committee, led by Nobel laureate Phillip A. Sharp, Ph.D., SU2C operates rigorous competitive review processes to identify the best research proposals to recommend for funding, oversee grants administration, and ensure collaboration across research programs.

Current members of the SU2C Founders and Advisors Committee (FAC) include Katie Couric, Sherry Lansing, Kathleen Lobb, Lisa Paulsen, Rusty Robertson, Sue Schwartz, Pamela Oas Williams, and Ellen Ziffren. The late Laura Ziskin and the late Noreen Fraser are also co-founders. Sung Poblete, Ph.D., R.N., serves as SU2C’s CEO. For more information, visit StandUpToCancer.org.

About the American Association for Cancer Research
Founded in 1907, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is the world’s first and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research and its mission to prevent and cure cancer. AACR membership includes 47,000 laboratory, translational, and clinical researchers; population scientists; other health care professionals; and patient advocates residing in 127 countries. The AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise of the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer by annually convening more than 30 conferences and educational workshops—the largest of which is the AACR Annual Meeting, with more than 74,000 attendees for the 2020 virtual meetings and more than 22,500 attendees for past in-person meetings. In addition, the AACR publishes nine prestigious, peer-reviewed scientific journals and a magazine for cancer survivors, patients, and their caregivers. The AACR funds meritorious research directly as well as in cooperation with numerous cancer organizations. As the Scientific Partner of Stand Up To Cancer, the AACR provides expert peer review, grants administration, and scientific oversight of team science and individual investigator grants in cancer research that have the potential for near-term patient benefit. The AACR actively communicates with legislators and other policymakers about the value of cancer research and related biomedical science in saving lives from cancer. For more information about the AACR, visit www.AACR.org.

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Media Contacts:
Mirabai Vogt-James
Stand Up To Cancer
mjames@su2c.org

Rick Buck
American Association for Cancer Research
rick.buck@aacr.org